Hydro-air vehicle



y 1963 w. A. CROWLEY 7 3,090,327

HYDRO-AIR VEHICLE Original Filed Sept. 29, 1958 INVENTOR. WALTEK A.ckowLEY A 7 "I've y:

United States Patent Office Patented May 21, 1963 14 Claims. ((11.1ii4-134) The present invention concerns divisional subject matter of mycopending application Serial No. 763,919, filed September 29, 195 8, andrelates more particularly to novel vehicles which travel on air cushionsor air bearings along a track.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a vehicle having abody provided with a hollow downwardly open pressure chamber on thebottom thereof and which vehicle has pressurizing means to maintainpressurized air inside the chamber, whereby the pressurized air raisesthe vehicle upward to follow a track, and the vehicle floats on thepressurized air or air cushion; and, wherein the vehicle is furtherprovided with horizontal propulsion means for the vehicle to propelitself along the track on a bearing of air.

It is another object of this invention to provide a vehicle of the classdescribed, which is simple, lightweight and compact in construction,with very few moving parts, safe and simple to operate, economical ofmanufacture, and which provides a smooth, fast mode of transportation.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a vehicle adapted tofollow a track, which vehicle may be made in different embodimentsdepending upon the purpose for which it is to be used, as for example,for commercial, passenger or cargo use.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a vehicle of theclass described which is self-limiting in altitude and which ispossessed of excellent stability in roll and pitch.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will beapparent from the following detailed description and appended claims,reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thespecification wherein like reference numerals designate correspondingparts of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a hydro-air train embodying theprinciples of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational sectional view of the structure illustrated inFIG. 1, taken along the line 22 thereof, and looking in the direction ofthe arrows;

FIG. 3 is an elevational sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2, andshowing a slightly modified hydro-air train construction.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2,wherein is illustrated an actual working embodiment of the invention,the hydro-air train comprises a front thrust engine and fuel car 68, theintermediate cars or sections 69, 7t) and 71, and the rear thrust engineand fuel car 72. FIG. 2 illustrates the typical cross-section of thecars 68, 69, 7t), 71 and 72. As shown in FIG. 2., each of these cars isprovided with a hollow pressure chamber or gas enclosure, as 73 alongthe bottom thereof, which is open along the lower side thereof. Thelower edges of the side walls of the pressure chamber 73 are tapered asat 74 so as to seat on the opposed downwardly and outwardly inclinedfaces 75 of the concrete roadway 76 and keep the train laterally on theroadway when the train is at rest.

Each car of the train is provided with a suitable lift means as 77which, as shown, is an engine driven propellor means, although it willbe obvious that the lift means 77 could be any suitable lift means as,for example, a turbine engine or a suitable air compressor. As shown inFIG. 2, the lift means forces air under pressure downwardly through theduct or conduit 78 into the compression chamber 73 which extends theentire length of the car. The compression chamber 73 in each car isprovided with suitable end walls as 80, at each end thereof and theseend walls each have opposed downwardly and outwardly inclined edges toreceive the opposed faces of the roadway or track thus for closing theends to the track and keeping the vehicle laterally on the track whenthe vehicle is at rest. The numerals 79 indicate the passenger or workcarrying area of each car. The rear engine car 72 is provided with apropulsive thrust power means as 81, which is a jet engine, althoughother types of thrust power means could be used. The front engine car 68is provided with a second jet engine 82 for reverse thrust and stoppingpurposes.

The lift engines 77 provide each car with an individual lifting affectso as to lift it off of the concrete roadway into a hovering position afew inches above the roadway as shown in FIG. 2. The thrust engines 81and 82 could then be operated to propel the train in the desireddirection. It will be seen that a hydro-air train of the type disclosedrides on an air bearing between the track 76 and the train itself. Atrain of this type would be economical to operate at high speed due tothe frictionless design of the structure thereof since it has no wheelsto wear out, and may travel safely at very high speeds. The track 76would be cheap to build and would be self-cleaning and have a long life.In a train of this type, there is no wear on the track or the trainsunder-surface other than slow errosion due to compressed turbulent airand blown particles because the train rides on a film of compressed airand has no metal-to-metal contact between the train and the track. Sincea train of this type has no wheels there are now moving mechanical partsbetween the track and the train which would be subject to failure due tocentrifugal forces or other causes. The friction losses in a train ofthis type would be very low since losses by turbulence of air would bethe only losses present and these may be minimized by properly contouredsmooth parts. A train of this type would have the advantage of low powerrequirements due to the absence of rolling friction. Other novelfeatures of a train of the present type are that it is capable of safehigh speeds, would have low maintainence costs and would provide safeand comfortable transportation. A train of the present type may be usedfor subway, elevated, or surface routes.

'FIG. 3 is an elevational cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2and showing a modified car construction for a hydro-air train made inaccordance with the invention. This modified train construction wouldinclude a body 83 having a passenger carrying compartment 84 and an aircompression chamber 35 formed in the bottom side thereof. The aircompression chamber 85 would extend the entire length of the car in thesame manner as the chamber 73 of the embodiment of FIG. 2. In thisembodiment the concrete roadway 86 would be provided with the upwardlysloping sides 87 and an outwardly extended lip 88 along each sidethereof. The compression chamber 85 would be provided along the loweredges thereof with the under-hanging shoe 89 for safety purposed whichwould normally make no contact with the lips 88 and which would notrestrict the escape of air from the air chamber. The air chamber 85 isprovided with the inner walls 90 formed from a suitable brake liningmaterial for engagement with the stainless steel facings 92 on theroadway 86 for stopping purposes in case of an air supply failure athigh speed. The walls 90 would be provided with suitable air aperturestherethrough as 91 to permit the air to escape from -31 the chamber 85and form the air bearing between the walls 90 and the roadway 86. Theembodiment of FIG. 3 is adapted for high speeds around curves and thecompression chamber 85 may be articulated to permit the train to go overhills and around curves. The embodiment of FIG. 3 would operate in thesame general manner as the aforedescribed embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2and would be provided with a suitable means for compressing air into thechamber 85.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of theinvention herein disclosed are well calculated to fulfill the objectsabove stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptibleto modification, varia tion and change without departing from the properscope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. A railway vehicle adapted to raise itself by gas under pressure froma track having opposed side faces and to hold to the course of the trackon a bearing formed by the gas between the vehicle and the opposed sidefaces of the track, said vehicle including hollow downwardly open gasenclosure means so corresponding to the track as to extend over thetrack and along the opposed side faces of the track to enclose plenumspace in the hollow thereof between said enclosure means and the opposedside faces of the track, said plenum space when said gas enclosure meansis raised from the track being over the track in communication with theopposed faces of the track while said enclosure means forms a lift gapwith the track for gas to escape from said plenum space to theatmosphere, and means for vertically lifting and horizontally propellingthe vehicle, the latter said means including pressurizing means on thevehicle communicating with said plenum space for maintaining gas underpressure in said plenum space to lift said vehicle upward only in theregion of ground effect of the lift gas upon the track into ahorizontally idle hovering position wherein substantially all verticalthrust of the vehicle exerted upon the track by the vehicle is in thedownward direction and for the vehicle to stabilize itself laterally ofthe track by the effect of the lift gas upon the opposed faces of thetrack with the vehicle forming a lift gap with the track, and said meansfor verically lifting and horizontally propelling the vehicle furtherincluding horizontal propulsion means on the vehicle for the vehicle tohorizontally propel itself along the track while said gas pressurizingmeans maintains gas under pressure in said plenum space and groundeffect lift of the vehicle relative to the track for the vehicle tofollow the track in gap forming relation to the track.

2. A railway vehicle adapted to raise itself by gas under pressure froma track having opposed side faces and to hold the course of the track ona bearing formed by the gas between the vehicle and the opposed sidefaces of the track, said vehicle including a bottom so corresponding tothe track that said bottom extends over the track and along the opposedside faces of the track to enclose plenum space between said bottom andthe opposed side faces of the track, said plenum space when the vehicleis raised from the track being in communication with the opposed facesof the track wlule said bottom forms a lift gap with the track for gasto escape from said plenum space to the atmosphere, and means forvertically lifting and horizontally propelling the vehicle, said meansincluding p-ressurizing means on the vehicle communicating with saidplenum space for maintaining gas under pressure in said plenum space tolift the vehicle upward only in the region of ground effect of the liftgas upon the track into a horizontally idle hovering position and forthe vehicle to stabilize itself laterally of the track by the effect ofthe lift gas upon the opposed faces of the track, with the vehiclesforming a lift gap with the track, and said means for vertically liftingand horizontally propelling the vehicle further including horizontalpropulsion means on the vehicle for the vehicle to horizontally propelitself along the track while said gas pressurizing means maintains gasunder pressure in said plenum space and ground effect lift of thevehicle relative to the track for the vehicle to follow the track in gapforming relation of said bottom to the track.

3. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein said vehicle includes aplurality of interconnected railway bodies each having a bottom socorresponding to the track that the bottom of each said body extendsover the track and along the opposite side faces of the track to enclosea corresponding fraction of said plenum space between the bottom of saidbody and the opposite side faces of the track.

4. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein the vehicle is adaptedto follow a track having upwardly facing oppositely inclined sidesextending downwardly and outwardly, and said bottom of the vehicle ishollow opening downward to accommodate said plenum space and includes aplurality of portions extending laterally of the vehicle and spacedapart longitudinally of the vehicle, each of said portions havingoppositely inclined lower edges substantially conforming to the inclinedsides of the track.

5. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein the vehicle is adaptedto follow a track having upwardly facing oppositely inclined sidesextending downwardly and outwardly, and said bottom of the vehicle ishollow opening downward to accommodate said plenum space, said bottomincluding a plurality of portions extending laterally of the vehicle andspaced apart longitudinally of the vehicle, each of said portions havingoppositely inclined lower edges substantially conforming to the inclinedsides of the track, and said bottom further including oppositelyinclined brake shoe members substantially conforming to the inclinedsides of the track to support the vehicle on the track when the vehicleis not being lifted and said members haivng openings for gas to issuefrom said plenum space to the inclined faces of the track for the gas tolift the vehicle from the track.

6. A vehicle in accordance with claim 2, wherein the vehicle is adaptedto follow a track having upwardly facing oppositely inclinedsidesextending downwardly and outwardly and thence inwardly to provideoutwardly extending lips, and said bottom of the vehicle is hollowopening downward to accommodate said plenum space, said bottom includinga plurality of portions extending laterally of the vehicle and spacedapart longitudinally of the vehicle, each of said portions havingoppositely inclined lower edges substantially conforming to the inclinedsides of the track, and said bottom further including safety meansin-turned beneath the outwardly extending lips of the track so as toremain beneath and clear of the track lips when the vehicle is normallylifted by gas pressure.

7. A railway vehicle adapted to raise itself by gas under pressure froma track having opposed side faces and to hold to the course of the trackon a bearing formed by the gas between the vehicle and the opposed sidefaces of the track, said vehicle including gas enclosure means socorresponding to the track as to extend over the track and along theopposed side faces of the track to enclose plenum space between thevehicle and the opposed side faces of the track and said enclosure meansincluding a plurality of portions extending laterally of the vehicle andspaced apart longitudinally of the vehicle and each of said portionshaving oppositely inclined edges substantially conforming to theoppositely inclined opposed side faces of the track, said plenum spacewhen said gas enclosure means is raised from the track being over thetrack in communication with the opposed faces of the track while thevehicle forms a lift gap with the track for gas to escape from saidplenum space to the atmosphere, and means for vertically lifting andhorizontally propelling the vehicle,

the latter said means including pressurizing means on the vehiclecommunicating with said plenum space for maintaining gas under pressurein said plenum space to lift said vehicle upward only in the region ofground effect of the lift gas upon the track into a horizontally idlehovering position and for the vehicle to stabilize itself laterally ofthe track by the eifect of the lift gas upon the opposed faces of thetrack with the vehicle forming a lift gap with the track, and said meansfor vertically lifting and horizontally propelling the vehicle furtherincluding horizontal propulsion means on the vehicle for the vehicle tohorizontally propel itself along the track while said gas pressurizingmeans maintains gas under :pressure in said plenum space and groundeffect lift of the vehicle relative to the track for the vehicle tofollow the track in gap forming relation to the track.

8. A vehicle adapted to raise itself by gas pressure from a roadway andtravel the roadway, said vehicle including gas enclosure and roadwaycontact means, said means comprising hollow gas enclosure means havingdownwardly open plenum space in the hollow thereof, and said gasenclosure and roadway contact means further comprising roadway contactmeans for the vehicle to be laterally opposed by a track of the roadwayand bear upon the roadway when the vehicle is in a rest position, andsaid vehicle including means for vertically lifting and horizontallypropelling the vehicle, the latter said means comprising pressurizingmeans on the vehicle communicating with said plenum space formaintaining gas under pressure in said plenum space and beneath said gasenclosure means to lift the vehicle upward from a rest position only inthe region of ground effect of the lift gas, into a horizontally idlehovering position, wherein substantially all vertical thrust exertedupon the roadway by the vehicle is in the downward direction and whereinsaid gas enclosure means forms a lift gap with the roadway and saidroadway contact means is in uplifted laterally opposed position relativeto the track, and said means for vertically lifting and horizontallypropelling the vehicle further including horizontal propulsion means onthe vehicle for the vehicle to horizontally propel itself along theroadway, while said gas pressurizing means maintains gas under pressurein said plenum space and the vehicle is lifted by the gas and saidroadway contact means is laterally opposite the track.

9. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8, wherein said roadway contactmeans has laterally opposed oppositely inclined faces to engagelaterally opposed oppositely inclined faces of the track.

'10. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8, wherein said hollow gasenclosure means having downwardly open plenum space in the hollowthereof includes a hollow bottom of the vehicle having downwardly openplenum space therein with which said pressurizing means communicates forthe vehicle to be lifted.

11. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8, wherein said roadway contactmeans for the vehicle to be laterally opposed by a track of the roadwayand bear upon the roadway when the vehicle is in a rest positionincludes portions of said gas enclosure means having faces so suited tothe contour of the track that said gas enclosure means is laterallyopposed by the track and the vehicle bears upon the roadway when thevehicle is in a rest position.

12. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8, wherein said hollow gasenclosure means having downwardly open plenum space in the hollowthereof includes a hollow bottom of the vehicle having downwardly openplenum space therein with which said pressurizing means communicates forthe vehicle to be lifted, and said roadway contact means for the vehicleto be laterally opposed by a track of the roadway and bear upon theroadway includes portions of said bottom having faces suited to thecontour of the track so that said bottom is laterally opposed by thetrack and said faces bear upon the track when the vehicle is in a restposition.

13. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8, wherein said hollow gasenclosure means having downwardly open plenum space in the hollowthereof is adapted to enclose said plenum space substantially to amono-rail track.

14. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8, wherein said hollow gasenclosure means having downwardly open plenum space in the hollowthereof is adapted to enclose said plenum space substantially to amono-rail track, and said roadway contact means for the vehicle to belaterally opposed by a track of the roadway and bear upon the roadwaywhen the vehicle is in a rest position includes portions of said gasenclosure means having faces so suited to the contour of the mono-railtrack that said gas enclosure means is laterally opposed by themono-rail track and the vehicle bears upon the roadway when the vehicleis in a rest position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BurkeDec. 19, 1961

1. A RAILWAY VEHICLE ADAPTED TO RAISE ITSELF BY GAS UNDER PRESSURE FROMA TRACK HAVING OPPOSED SIDE FACES AND TO HOLD TO THE COURSE OF THE TRACKON A BEARING FORMED BY THE GAS BETWEEN THE VEHICLE AND THE OPPOSED SIDEFACES OF THE TRACK, SAID VEHICLE INCLUDING HOLLOW DOWNWARDLY OPEN GASENCLOSURE MEANS SO CORRESPONDING TO THE TRACK AS TO EXTEND OVER THETRACK AND ALONG THE OPPOSED SIDE FACES OF THE TRACK TO ENCLOSE PLENUMSPACE IN THE HOLLOW THEREOF BETWEEN SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS AND THE OPPOSEDSIDE FACES OF THE TRACK, SAID PLENUM SPACE WHEN SAID GAS ENCLOSURE MEANSIS RAISED FROM THE TRACK BEING OVER THE TRACK IN COMMUNICATION WITH THEOPPOSED FACES OF THE TRACK WHILE SAID ENCLOSURE MEANS FORMS A LIFT GAPWITH THE TRACK FOR GAS TO ESCAPE FROM SAID PLENUM SPACE TO THEATMOSPHERE, AND MEANS FOR VERTICALLY LIFTING AND HORIZONTALLY PROPELLINGTHE VEHICLE, THE LATTER SAID MEANS INCLUDING PRESSURIZING MEANS ON THEVEHICLE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID PLENUM SPACE FOR MAINTAINING GAS UNDERPRESSURE IN SAID PLENUM SPACE TO LIFT SAID VEHICLE UPWARD ONLY IN THEREGION OF GROUND EFFECT OF THE LIFT GAS UPON THE TRACK INTO AHORIZONTALLY IDLE HOVERING POSITIN WHEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY ALL VERTICALTHRUST OF THE VEHICLE EXERTED UPON THE TRACK BY THE VEHICLE IS IN THEDOWNWARD DIRECTION AND FOR THE VEHICLE TO STABILIZE ITSELF LATERALLY OFTHE TRACK BY THE EFFECT OF THE LIFT GAS UPON THE OPPOSED FACES OF THETRACK WITH THE VEHICLE FORMING A LIFT GAP WITH THE TRACK, AND SAID MEANSFOR VERICALLY LIFTING AND HORIZONTALLY PROPELLING THE VEHICLE FURTHERINCLUDING HORIZONTAL PROPULSION MEANS ON THE VEHICLE FOR THE VEHICLE TOHORIZONTALLY PROPEL ITSELF ALONG THE TRACK WHILE SAID GAS PRESSURIZINGMEANS MAINTAINS GAS UNDER PRESSURE IN SAID PLENUM SPACE AND GROUNDEFFECT LIFT OF THE VEHICLE RELATIVE TO THE TRACK FOR THE VEHICLE TOFOLLOW THE TRACK IN GAP FORMING RELATION TO THE TRACK.